Maxey Dell Moody Jr.

Max's sole legacy, like his father's, is with the business M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc., and MOBRO Marine, Inc. His leadership ensured M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc., the status as the largest family-owned construction equipment distributor in the United States and the oldest road equipment distributor in Florida. His sons became more involved in M. D. Moody & Sons after Max's death with Maxey Dell Moody III as president and CEO, Boyd Moody as vice president, and Richard Moody as president of Moody Truck Center. At MOBRO, Max III was also president and Boyd was vice president until 2004 when Max's grandson John Rowland took over as president. Max III's son Max IV also became vice president of MOBRO. Max's wife Dorothy remained on the Board of Directors as Mrs. M. D. Moody Jr. until her death in 2004.

By 1987 Moody Brothers became a corporate spin-off of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc., and was incorporated as MOBRO Marine, Inc. In September 1987 his business Moody Brothers made national headlines when one of its barges called the MOBRO 4000 was carrying garbage from New York City. It was turned away from three countries and seven states making everyone wonder who would take this garbage and raising more awareness about the environment. Johnny Carson also used a running gag on his show The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson of a map tracker for where the MOBRO 4000 was at. When it returned to Green Cove Springs it had to be "all dolled up" according to Max Moody Jr. which was beyond its extended period of time on the high seas.

In 1976 at 63 years old Max had to have heart bypass surgery. Ten days later he returned to work to ensure that his business was still continuing its exponential growth. Max chose not to retire because he loved to work and felt that in retirement you become worn out due to the inactivity of not working. 11 years later Max's health began to decline and on December 3, 1987 Max died of a heart attack at the age of 74. He left behind his life's work of M. D. Moody & Sons, MOBRO Marine, Inc. and seven children.

Max's rigorous work ethic made M. D. Moody & Sons a dominant construction equipment distributor in the Southeastern United States. After his death in 1987 it struggled to maintain that dominance in the industry years later and in 2013 the company was forced to close due to financial difficulties combined with the Great Recession effects. MOBRO Marine succeeded M. D. Moody by acquiring its parts department and headquarters building in 2013.

By the 1970s it had diversified with several subsidiaries such as Moody Machinery Corp. and Moody Brothers. By the 1980s M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc., had become globally the 10th largest crane rental business. It further diversified with two additional subsidiaries called Moody Machinery Corp. near Atlanta, Georgia and Moody Truck Center.

In 1962 he established Moody Brothers in Green Cove Springs, Florida. The name Moody brothers comes from Max's sons Max, Boyd, Mike and Joe. Max chose to have Moody Brothers in Green Cove Springs because the growth of downtown Jacksonville had no room for Moody Brothers. Moody Brothers operates a fleet of over 100 barges, tugboats, and the rental of heavy marine construction equipment.

In 1949 Max Moody, Sr. died of a heart attack. Max became president and Muller became vice president to continue their father's company. Max then moved M. D. Moody from downtown Jacksonville to Philips Highway. M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc., under the leadership of Max began to grow exponentially by expanding with branches in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale in the 1950s.

On June 18, 1933 Max married Dorothy in Jacksonville the daughter of Dorothy and Thomas Boyd. They had seven children: Maxine Rowland (1941-2019), Maxey Dell Moody III (born 1944), Thomas Boyd Moody (1945-2018), Richard "Mike" Moody (born 1948), Elaina Moran (born 1950), Joseph "Joe" Moody (born 1953), Angel Throop (born 1958).

Max, along with his brother Muller Pearson Moody, worked at their father's business M. D. Moody in the late 1930s. The business had become the top distributor of American Crane's products in the United States and helped build military bases in Florida during World War II. With Max and Muller at M. D. Moody it then became incorporated as M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. While working at M. D. Moody, Max was a part-time teacher with a course on diesel engines in Jacksonville.

Maxey Dell "Max" Moody Jr. (June 15, 1913 – December 3, 1987), also known as M. D. Moody Jr., was the president and CEO of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. from 1950 to 1987 and the founder of MOBRO Marine, Inc. As President and CEO he diversified and expanded M. D. Moody, firmly establishing it as a prominent business in the construction industry. His father's business under his leadership became the oldest family-owned construction equipment distributor in the United States, and at one time the largest crane dealer in the southeast.

Max Moody Jr. was born in Jacksonville, Florida on June 15, 1913. He was the first son of Maxey Dell Moody and Ethel (Müller) Moody. His maternal grandfather was Gustav Müller whom had immigrated to the United States from Germany in the 1870s. Gustav settled in Jacksonville Beach, Florida where he built his home in the 1880s. Gustav's house still stands today and is considered to be the oldest house in Jacksonville Beach. His cousin Gustav Müller Jr. became a prominent businessman in Jacksonville the owner of the Hotel Burbridge and the G. Muller Company. Maxey's father Maxey Moody Sr. was in the road building construction industry working for a road grader company in Jacksonville. Five years after Maxey Jr. was born his father established his own road building business called M. D. Moody. Max attended Andrew Jackson High School and graduated in 1926.